Cigar-banding machine



R. D. SCHOENWETTER.

CIGAR BANDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. I917.

Patented May 23, W22.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. D. SCHOENWETTER.

CIGAR BANDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYII, I91?- gnvulfo'c 3 Patented. May 23, 1922..

R. D. SCHOENWETTER. CIGAR BANDXNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1912.

Patented May 23,1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ym g My attorney;

I To all whom it may concern:

.RJEINJEDOLD D. SGJEEOENVVETTER, 01F BALTIMORE, MY

ASSIGN MEETS, TO THE WAR ND, A COR/1P0 '1 assrenon, er ms NATIONAL MANUFACTURING COANY, 0F BALTIIIIURE,

TIO'IN 01F MARYLAND.

crenan'nme o I ,II6,93.

Application, filed May 17,

Beit known that I, RmNHoLn SCHOEN; WETTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore,'in the State of Mary land, have inve'nte-dcertain new and useful Improvements in Gigar-Bandin :Machines, of which the following is a speci cation.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved band delivery and wetting mechanism for cigar banding machines, though it should be understood that I do not limit my invention to this specific application, as the principles thereof may be applied to labeling and analogous machines generally. 1 I

More specifically considered, my present invention relates to improvements in band delivery and band wetting mechanisms for use with those cigar banding machines in which a supply of cigar bands, each having a dry gummed end, is carried in a magazlne stacked one upon the other and delivered one at a time to a wetting mechanism and then to the band applying mechanism proper. In such machines,it is of great importance that the bands be withdrawn from the magazine'singly and not two or more at a time; that the-gummed portion of the band be so moistened that it will not be too wet or too dry when it reaches the band applying mechanism; that the moistureapplying means shall not remove the gum from the band. and finally, that the band be de-, livered to the band applying mechanism in exactly the right position to be applledto the cigar. It is essential that the band be applied to the cigar straight, that is to say, at right angles to'the longitudinal axis ofthe cigar. In fact, it is essentialto correct bandingthat each of the operations herem provided for shall be properly performed for, if any one of them goes wrong, the result is fatal. i

In order to more fully describe my said invention, reference.will be had to -the accompanying drawings, wherein zt Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan new; of my improved mechanism with parts omltted for the sake ofclearness;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, of my improved Inechamsm Fig. 3 1s a fragmentary elevation, partly Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented may as, naaa.

1917. Serial Ito. 169,246

in section, of the band magazine and wetting mechanism;

Fig, 4: is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the band ejecting fingers;

. Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of the wetting mechanism; I

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail section, partly in elevation, of the band magazine showing the ejecting fingers thrust inwardly to cause the bulging of the lowermost bands; Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a detail vertical central section through one of the suction heads; and Fig. 9 is a top plan view of one of the cigar bands. I

The machine as here shown comprises,

' amongst other parts, a band magazine,-consisting of two upright vertically ribbed plates 1 and 2 mounted for'horizontal adjustment by means of screws 3 and 4 and slots 5 and 6 upon portions of the frame of the machine, and each carrying upon its inner face two flanged vertically disposed guides 7, 8' and 9, 10, respectively, the said guides forming two vertical channels in which the cigar bands 11 are stacked, as shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and .6.

The above-mentioned channels are open at their upper ends, but extending thereinto at their bottoms are two rigid ledges 12 and 13, respectively, the upper faces of which are beveled so as to form two su porting surfaces converging toward eac other. Normally these ledges support the stack of bands in the magazine, the opposite ends of the lowermost band engaging said ledges at their bases, the forward ends or tips of the ledges being entirely free from the bands, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, and permitting of the free bulging of the lowermost bands as shown in Fig. 6.

Each of the cigar bands in the case here illustrated is provided on one of its faces adjacent one end with a coating 14 of gum arabic or other suitable adhesive which, as hereinbefore stated, is dry when .the bands are placed in the magazine. The bands are stacked in the magazine, all with the gummeol ends in the same direction and with their gummed faces up. 1

It has heretofore been found very dificult.

to'withdraw. the lowermost band from astack of superposed bands carried in a magazine, with the assurance that the next band above will not follow. This difficulty is largely due to the weightof the bands which' tends to cause those more immediately adjacent the lower one to follow it when the latter is withdrawn The mechanism which I here provide is designed to eliminate this weight of thexbands on theclowermost one during the operation of withdrawing a band, and with this end in view, I have provided a mechanism which is designed to cause the -to follow the arc of a circle.

lowermost bands to bulge or extend outwardly from the stack and thereby not be subject to the effect above-mentioned when being removed. Moreover, this method of operation separates the lowermost band from the one next above when for any reason they have been stuck together.

For the purpose of effecting the abovedescribed bulging of the lowermost bands downward, I provide two tongues 16 and 17 fast, respectively, upon depending arms 18 and 19 of two bell-crank levers pivotally mounted upon the uprights 1 and 2. These levers are provided, respectively, with arms 20 and 21, each of which is curved so as These latter arms extend into openings in two arms 22 and 23 fast on a rock shaft 24. For the purpose of imparting angular motion tothis shaft, there is made fast thereto a depending arm 25, the lower end of which is flexibly connected through a link 25 to a rocker arm 26, formed on a collar 26 fast on a rock shaft 27. Also fast on this shaft is an arm 28 which connects through a link" 29 to a lever 30 carrying a roller 31 which travels in a cam slot or groove 32 in one face of a disk 33 fast on a power shaft 34, which latter may be driven from any desired source. The inner faces of the tongues 16 and 17 are serrated and are backwardly sloping or beveled, as shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 6. Shorter bands must be pressed from the ends more than longer ones to produce the same bulging. It will be seen that, when uprights 1 and 2 are moved closer together, the efiective horizontal parts of lovers 20 and 21 shorten, thus imparting a longer movement to tongues 16 and 17,

and. if moved further away from each other metal tube 36 rigidly secured to a support,

in an eccentric groove or slot 42 in one face of the disk 33. The lower end of the tube 36 is connected through a flexible tube 43 to the forward end of one of the cylinders 44 of a double air pump 44 driven from a disk 45 having an eccentric groove 46 therein in which travels a roller 47 carried by a lever 48, connected through a link 49 to the piston cross head 50 of the air pump. The disk 45 is mounted upon a shaft 51 which receives its motion from power shaft- 34 throu h sprocket gearing 34, 52 and 53. The suction head 35 is provided in its upper end with two ports or air openings 54, 55, which communicate through a common passage 56 with the pipe 36. Inserted in the upper ends of these ports 54, 55 are two short rubber tubes or nipples 57 and 58 which extend slightly above the upper surface or face of the suction head.

The bands are" removed from the maga zine by the above-described suction mechanism and are delivered to aconveyer which, in the machine here shown, comprises a pair of metal belts 59 and 60, which travel respectively upon flanged rollers 61, 62 and 63, 64. The rollers 62 and64 are provided with equally spaced peripheral pins 65 and 66 which are adapted to extend through equally spaced openings 67 and 68 in the respective belts and thereby impart travel thereto. The rollers 62 and 64 are fast on shaft 69 connected through gears 70 and 71 to a ratchet 72 mounted on a stub shaft 73. This ratchet is adapted to receive motion from a pawl 74 carried by an arm 75 mounted for rocking motion on shaft 73, which motion is imparted to said arm through a lever 76 connected thereto through a link 77, the lever 76 being fast to or integral with collar 26 and, therefore, adapted to receive rocking motion from the lever 30.

Fast on the conveyer belts 59 and 60, respectively, are a series of spring clips 78 and; 79 spaced at regular intervals thereon in such arrangement as to form pairs in .which the clips of the respective pairs lie exactly opposite each other and are in a line at right angles to the lengthwise direction of the bands. is to remove the bands one at a time from the suction head 35 and hold them in position on the conveyer belts until they are re; moved therefrom, as hereinafter described.

The wetting mechanism comprises, amongst other parts, a trough or tank 80 in which is carried a supply of water 81 and into which is adapted to extend a roller 82 fast on a The function of these clips intense l shaft 83, connected through gearing 84, 85 and 86 to the shaft 69 so as to impart to the roller 82 the same surface velocity as that to the conveyer belts 59 and 60. A presser roller 87 journaled in bearings 88 and ,89 (see Fig. vertically movable in an overhanging bracket 90 is normally held in peripheral engagement with the roller 82 underithe compression of springs 91 and 92,

the tension of which,may be regulated by screws 93 and 94. Rollers 82 and 87 are located at one side of the conveyer belt 60 (at the right in Fig. 1) such distance that the gummed end of each cigar band carried by the conveyer belts will pass between said rollers. j

The tank 80 is mountedv for horizontal movement in two guide supports 95 and 96 and is adjustable horizontally'by a screw 97. This arrangement affords a means for adjusting the wetting rollers horizontally.

The mechanism for removing the bands from the conveyer belts comprises, amongst other parts, a hinged or pivotally mounted stripper 98 consisting of a yoke having arms 99 and 100 carrying on their outer ends rollers 101 and. 102, respectively, which travel upon plates 103 and 104 rigidly secured to the machine frame and having their forward ends bent downward to form inclined planes 105 and 106 on which the'rollers 101 and 102 travel, as hereinafter more particularly described. The arms 99 and 100 carry pins 107 and \108 which, when said arms travel forward, engage a band on the conveyer belt and carry it forward until its forward edge engages with two stop pins 109 and 110 fast on plates 103 and 104, respectively. When the bands are brought to this position, a suction head 111 rises intoen gagement therewith, draws the engaged band downward and delivers it to the band ing unit 112, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The banding unit per se, however,

roller 119 carried by a lever 115. The disk 117 is fast on a shaft 120 driven by the sprocket gearing 53-121.

The suction head 111 is fast upon the upper end of a metal tube 122 fast to an arm 123 mounted for vertical reciprocating motion in guides 124 and connected through a hand held thereon by suction with it.

.held on the suction head by suction.

link 125 to a lever 126 having a roller 127 which travels in an eccentric groove 128 in one face of the disk 117. The lower end of the 'suction tube 122 connects through a flexible tube 129 to one end of the pump cylinder 44*. The suction heads 35 and 111 are similar, except in that the head 111 has 'but one suction opening 130 through its top,

whereas the head 35 has two such openings.

F or the purpose of forming an upper stop or anvil for, the hands when engaged by the suction head 111 in rising, there is provided a plate 131 rigidly secured to the machine frame and extending forwardly between the conveyer belts.

The'operation is as follows It will be assumed that shaft 34 is in retation and continues so throughout a complete cycle of the machine. The continued rotation of the shaft 34 results through themovement imparting mechanism described,

At the beginning of the cycle, the tongues 16 and 17 are thrust inward, as shown in Fig. 6, causing the lowermost bands to bulge and the remainder of the stack of bands to be lifted, as shown. The tube 36 rises, thereby causing the suction head 35 to travel up- Ward and bring the rubber nipples 57 and 58 thereon into engagement with the lowermost band, closing the suction head ports 54 and 55. At this moment, the pistons of the pumps 44 and 44 start on their outward strokes, thereby creatingsuction against the band in engagement with the suction head and holding it firmly thereon. After pausing with the suction head in the position described, tube 36 travels downward, causing suction head 35 to descend and carrysthe uction head 35 continues its travel downward until it reaches the position indicated in Fig. 2 with the band held-just above the conveyer belts, the said band being still The conveyer belts now advance one step under the action of the ratchet and pawl mechanism 7277 hereinbefore described, where-.

upon a pair of clips 78 and 79 engage the cigar hand held by the suction head 35, re-

moveit' from said suction head and carry it to the next stopping position (A); During this period of advance of the conveyer belts, the band compressing tongues 16 and 17 recede from each other and allow the lower mo st bands in the magazine to straighten, as

shown in Fig. 3. After the clips engage the band, as described, the pump pistons reverse their stroke, thereby releasing the suction applied to the head 35.

On the next step of the conveyer belts, the band is brought to position B when it stops again, and on the'next succeeding step passes between'the wetting rollers and on to the next stopping position C, and is carried along step-by-step, through the action of pawl 74 on the ratchet 72 to the position D, when the arm 113 rocks forward, whereupon the pins 107 and 108 engage the band, push it forward out of its retaining clips and position its forward edge against pins 109 and 110, thus correcting any'displacement which the band may have undergone in transit and insuring its correct positioning on suction head 111. When arm 113 reaches the limit of its forward stroke, it pauses for a moment. At this time suction head 111 moves up and engages the band held between pins 7 107108 and 109110, and the moment this adapted to contain a supply of cigar bands, a

takes place the piston of the pump cylinder 44 starts on its suction stroke, thereby ere-- ating a suction on the band in engagement with. the suction head 111. Suction head 111 then travels downward, carrying the band with it, and after it has reached the limit of its downward travel, the piston of pump cylinder 44 reverses its stroke and relieves the suction on the band, whereupon it becomes free. The moment the suction head 111 starts down with a band, arm 113 rocks back to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the belt conveyer advances another step.

It will be noted that the wetting of the gummed end of the band takes place far in advance ofits delivery to the band applying mechanism. This gives ample time for the proper softening of the gum. It has also been found that soapstone is the best material of which to make the roller 82, such materialhaving relatively little of friction with'the substance to be wetted. The best material for roller 87 is rubber, as this will yield when the bands pass between the two rollers. When these rollers travel at the same surface velocity as the band passing between them, removal of the gum in the wetting process is practically eliminated.

It should be understood "that, while the expression cigar bands is used in the accompanying claims, this is intended to in- 'clude other strips or sheets of flexible material, .the said expression being used merely for convenlence.

Having thus described the invention,what

I claim as new is 1. The combination Wltll a magazine belt conveyer having a series of band retaining devices, means to withdraw said bands one at a time from said magazine and hold them in position tobe engaged by said retaining devices. I

2. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a supply of cigar hands, a belt conveyer having a series of band retaining devices, suction means to withdraw said bands one at a time from said magazine and hold them in position to be'engaged by said retaining devices.

3. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a supply of cigar bands, a belt conveyer having a series of band retaining spring clips, and means to withdraw said bands one at a time from said magazine and hold them in position to be engaged by said clips.

4. The combination with a cigar band transporting means provided with band retaining means, a device movable with respect to said transporting means and adapt ed to engage a band thereon and remove it from said holding means, and a positioning stop against which said band is brought by said removing means.

5. The combination with a cigar band transporting means provided with band retaining means, a device movable with \espect to said transporting means and adapt ed to engage a band thereon and remove it from said holding means, a positioning stop against which said band is brought'by said removing means, and suction means to to be brought into engagement with a band held by clips on said conveyer and to remove said bands from said clips, and a. pair of fixed positioning stops against which said band is adapted to be brought by said reciprocating member.

7. The combination with a belt conveyer having a series of spring clips for holding cigar bands on said conveyer, ofa reciprocating member having projections arranged to be brought into engagement with a band held by clips on said conveyer and to remove said band from said clips, a pair of fixed positioning stops against which said band is adapted to be brought by said reciprocating member, and suction means including a reciprocating suction head adapted to remove the band from said positioning stops.

8. The combination with a magazine adapted to contain a supply of cigar hands, a belt conveyor, means for withdrawing the bands oneat a time and for depositing them on the belt conveyor and means for subseemme x my quently removing the bands from the belt and for positioning same on a plate and 10 conveyor and positioning same. pneumatic means for removing the bands 9. The combination With a magazine thus positioned. r adapted to contain a stack of cigar bands, In testimony whereof I afiix my signature of a belt conveyor spring clips carried by in the presence of two Witnesses. said belt conveyor for holding said bands, IRIEIWIHIOLD 1D. SWUEWW means for delivering the .bands from the Witnesses: magazine to the conveyor, means for subse- H. G. BISHOP,

quently'removing the bands from the clips ANDREW J. NOLL. 

